Walking at night in Oussouye is an adventure in shades of gray with the sights and sounds around me shadowy at best. The other day as I walked to a friends house late in the evening I happened upon a circle of men sacrificing a chicken. This is a normal event here in Oussouye. They greeted us as they wrung the chickens neck. Every night you can here the drumming of locals dancing at the fetish, sacrificing and praying for help from the gods. On Sunday nights the Muslims propt the loudspeaker up give their worship music loud enough for everyone to hear.
The moon shines in the sky and the stars fill the darkness. The path to my house is dark and broken by a 'Kasume greeting' or a cow mooing and crossing my path. I wander upon goats resting stately on a pile of dung. I dodge the numerous holes in the path. Walking at night can be trechorous to your health as the bats eat the mangoes who drop to the ground in great numbers. Then the cows begin their stampede towards the fallen mangoes. Watch out!
And yet there is a certain tranquility to the night that I enjoy. As silence falls in the dusk and night creeps across the land so does silence, silky and smooth. A rest for the weary, a mental repose from the long days of chatter and village life.
1 comment:
I loved reading your clear rendition of what it's like to walk around Oussouyee at night. It was very poetic too. I felt like I was right there. :)
Christine Feather
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